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Sunday June 22 2014

300 unpaid teachers march to CAO’s office

In Summary

The teachers say they have not received salaries for three months and will not conduct lessons seriously until they have been paid.

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By Steven Ariong

Kotido- About 300 teachers from various primary schools in Kotido District, on Wednesday, abandoned classrooms and marched to offices of the chief administrative officer (CAO) and resident district commissioner (RDC) demanding an explanation as to why they had not been paid for three months.

The teachers marched together with the district chairperson of the Uganda National Teachers Union (UNATU) Kotido branch. Ms Christine Laloyo Butibwa, the chairperson UNATU Kotido, said the teachers had run out of patience waiting for salaries.

“Teachers are demoralised. Their children have been chased away from school because of school fees. Their bank accounts are empty. It’s a disgrace,” she said.

The CAO, Mr George Adoko, blamed the delayed salaries on the ongoing national exercise to clean up and validate the civil service payroll.

Mr Adoko offered no solution to the teachers other than asking them to be patient and return to the classrooms.

The RDC, Mr Peter Logiro, also appealed to the teachers to continue teaching.

He said the Public Service ministry was working on the problem and teachers and other affected civil servants would receive their payments though he did not give a date.

The protesting teachers agreed to return to class but warned that government should not expect serious teaching until they received their salaries.

“We shall be at school but there will be no real teaching. We are demoralised,” Mr Peter Lote, a teacher, said.